UT buys Dobie Center

[TKthunder2 4992]

https://news.utexas.edu/2021/10/12/ut-austin-adds-student-housing-options-to-increase-campus-access-affordability/
 

Quote

UT Austin Adds Student Housing Options to Increase Campus Access, Affordability

AUSTIN, Texas — With two major real estate deals, The University of Texas at Austin is adding housing to accommodate more than 1,700 students as part of its long-term efforts to address affordability and keep students close to campus.

The university just closed on the purchase of Dobie Twenty21, formerly known as the Dobie Center. The 27-story apartment building on the southwest corner of the main campus has 980 beds in 504 units, with parking for more than 600 vehicles.

The acquisition comes on the heels of authorization in August from the University of Texas System Board of Regents to build new graduate student housing in UT Austin’s East Campus area between Comal Street, East 21st Street, Leona Street, and south of Manor Road. The university plans to add about 780 beds in this area.

Dobie Center circa 1980. Photo by Larry D. Moore.

“Getting back to near-normal operations this semester has rekindled our passion for the residential experience and campus community, which are central to the UT experience,” said President Jay Hartzell. “And we know that having students closer to campus helps them build community and thrive academically.”

The new housing options will help address affordability for students navigating Austin’s competitive real estate market. The two projects will increase the inventory of affordable student-housing options while reducing the time and money it takes students to travel to campus, enhancing the overall student experience.

“We are excited about an expanded inventory of residential housing options that makes it possible for more students to live with us,” said Soncia Reagins-Lilly, vice president for student affairs and dean of students. “The proximity of the new housing to campus will also increase access to valuable student support resources.”

Located right in the heart of Austin overlooking downtown and the Texas Capitol, UT Austin has one of the best urban locations of any American university. But a land-locked location and the city’s booming real estate market present challenges for expansion.

“We wanted to seize this opportunity to add student housing and provide flexibility for future campus expansion,” said Hartzell. “Our location is a huge draw for students, with incredible access to internships and experiences in one of the country’s most dynamic cities. These new options will further enhance our ability to attract the best students, leverage our location, and become the country’s highest-impact public university.”

 

[Guest Lobo]

Great, now Jester and Dobie can officially battle it out for ugliest building on the 40 Acres under one banner.  

[StruggleBus 3922]

Not Dobie related, but for some reason this reminded me of how many wasted people pissed and vomited in the elevators and out the windows at Castilian. 

[NeverMarryAStripper 21907]

2 minutes ago, StruggleBus said:

Not Dobie related, but for some reason this reminded me of how many wasted people pissed and vomited in the elevators and out the windows at Castilian. 

Raises hand

[tbone_ 14127]

1st sentence of that article is bullshit. Buying Dobie doesn’t add units. They’re already there.

[maninblack 7974]

Dobie Alum

[Guest Lobo]

8 minutes ago, tbone_ said:

1st sentence of that article is bullshit. Buying Dobie doesn’t add units. They’re already there.

It adds units to the number of on-campus housing units that UT can offer directly to students.  It does add to the "dormitory bed count" of UT now.  Off-campus, privately-owned dorms/apartments/condos don't count as "on-campus" housing for a variety of metrics.  

Side note---if you're a "save Muny!" advocate (I'm not taking sides)...that second graduate student project on East Campus should give you the final proof you need that the course's days are numbered.  

[Bevo 13577]

So what does that leave for freshmen private housing near West Campus?

[billfromlaketravis 11488]

Inevitable and an incredible windfall for the former owners. I would think Castilian is next. 

[TKthunder2 4992]

5 minutes ago, tbone_ said:

1st sentence of that article is bullshit. Buying Dobie doesn’t add units. They’re already there.

Yes and No.  It allows UT to fund the housing of people living in Dobie.  Something that was difficult if not impossible to do when it was privately owned.

Mostly this is a great land deal that UT needed to get done now their eminent domain claim on the little lot between Dobie and Rowling is sure thing.  I could see another building being built in the space contained by that lot and the Dobie garage.  Anything privately owned between MLK/Drag/Dean Keaton/35 is a priority for UT before property values go even more crazy in this damn city.

[ztejas 43457]

55 minutes ago, TKthunder2 said:

But a land-locked location

I have never seen land-locked used in this context. 

[tbone_ 14127]

Yes and No.  It allows UT to fund the housing of people living in Dobie.  Something that was difficult if not impossible to do when it was privately owned.

That makes sense.

[Guest Lobo]

14 minutes ago, ztejas said:

I have never seen land-locked used in this context. 

You see, it would be this tract of land.  and it would be locked out from future usage. 

[TKthunder2 4992]

24 minutes ago, Lobo said:

Side note---if you're a "save Muny!" advocate (I'm not taking sides)...that second graduate student project on East Campus should give you the final proof you need that the course's days are numbered.  

I thought those East Campus projects were to replace the graduate/family housing on the Breckinridge (near) waterfront tract on the other side of Lake Austin Blvd from Muny.  I assume UT will eventually sell/trade Muny to the city after they sell their water/golf front property to a developer and get something out of it.  It would be very bad press for UT if they shut it down.  Trade it to the city for equal value then let them take all the blame when it closes.

[HornOnTheBayou 8931]

30 minutes ago, Bevo said:

So what does that leave for freshmen private housing near West Campus?

Is the Goodall Wooten still open? My buddy lived there for a couple of years in the 90s and that place was a shit hole then.

[billfromlaketravis 11488]

7 minutes ago, HornOnTheBayou said:

Is the Goodall Wooten still open? My buddy lived there for a couple of years in the 90s and that place was a shit hole then.

You better believe it. 

http://www.goodallwooten.com/

[Guest Lobo]

(last updated, March 29 2010).  

 

Seems legit.  I'd send in a deposit via cashier's check TODAY! 

[TKthunder2 4992]

19 minutes ago, Lobo said:

(last updated, March 29 2010).  

 

Seems legit.  I'd send in a deposit via cashier's check TODAY! 

Prices updated for the 2017-2018 year.

http://www.goodallwooten.com/pricelist_2017-2018.pdf

Lots of nicer/newer buildings just behind it, so I assume it’s just a matter of time before it’s torn down for a new development.

[Biff Tannen 45691]

1 hour ago, Lobo said:

You see, it would be this tract of land.  and it would be locked out from future usage. 

[NeverMarryAStripper 21907]

Goodall Wooten closed in May 2018.  The building was purchased by American Campus with the intent to redevelop it into more student housing, but I don't think that's been done yet.

[Guest]

Quote

With two major real estate deals, The University of Texas at Austin is adding housing to accommodate more than 1,700 students as part of its long-term efforts to address affordability and keep students close to campus.

Affordability. That's rich. I lived in a UT dorm and don't regret it. But looking back on it, that shit was anything but affordable. Great location, but for the same price I could have lived somewhere with much more space and nicer accommodations. Should have cost half as much as it did, considering you're sharing a 15x10' space with another person.

Edited October 12, 2021 by FirstTimeCaller

[Surly Bevo 24956]

2 minutes ago, FirstTimeCaller said:

Affordability. That's rich. I lived in a UT dorm and don't regret it. But looking back on it, that shit was anything but affordable. Great location, but for the same price I could have lived somewhere with much more space and nicer accommodations. Should have cost half as much as it did, considering you're sharing a 15x10' space with another person.

I'm assuming they fed you though and that's worth/costs something.

[Guest]

Of course. Utilities were also included. It was still a rip.

[conVINCEd 21469]

6 minutes ago, Surly Bevo said:

I'm assuming they fed you though and that's worth/costs something.

Not much given the quality of the food.

[Guest]

Edit: Just looked, Jester is $1,400 a month when you back out Bevo Bucks. I'd guess that's not terrible considering it includes utilities/food and the location is the most convenient possible. But I would think that for that amount you could get somewhere much more spacious where you aren't literally sleeping four feet from another person. 

[midtown 3346]

This is Austin.  Can't students just camp out on the one of the lawns? 

[TwiceHorn 31488]

10 minutes ago, FirstTimeCaller said:

Affordability. That's rich. I lived in a UT dorm and don't regret it. But looking back on it, that shit was anything but affordable. Great location, but for the same price I could have lived somewhere with much more space and nicer accommodations. Should have cost half as much as it did, considering you're sharing a 15x10' space with another person.

I recently noticed what they're charging for on-campus accommodations and it made West Campus, even the new developments, look reasonable and affordable.  Much less whatever fleabags are down on Oltorf and Riverside.

Shocking.

Back in the 80s, if you could get on-campus housing, it was significantly more affordable than nice off-campus accommodations and a wash with the aforementioned fleabags.

[Guest]

UT Dorm Costs This Year for a 9-Month Contract:

Shared space with community bath    $12,645
Jester shared space with community bath    $13,058
Shared space with connecting or private bath    $13,471
Jester shared space with connecting or private bath    $13,885
San Jacinto or Duren shared space with connecting or private bath    $15,956
Single with community bath*    $15,244
Jester Single with community bath*    $15,657
Premium Single with community bath*    $17,844
Jester Premium Single with community bath*    $18,257
Premium Single with connecting or private bath*    $18,670
Duren Single with private bath*    $21,154

[midtown 3346]

 

[billfromlaketravis 11488]

1 hour ago, NeverMarryAStripper said:

Goodall Wooten closed in May 2018.  The building was purchased by American Campus with the intent to redevelop it into more student housing, but I don't think that's been done yet.

Looks like the Wooten Barber Shop is still there. I loved that place. Good haircut at a reasonable price and they always had pirated movies months in advance on the big screen. 

The same barber cut my hair for 4 years. Right before I graduated he asked me how the Navy thing was going. I was pretty surprised. I told him I wasn't in the NROTC. He then argued with me and said that I was. Apparently my doppelganger and I were at UT at exactly the same time. 

[MoJames 8244]

Moore-Hill alum here, prior to the sweet pool behind it too. Shit hole.

[South Austin 52515]

3 hours ago, maninblack said:

Dobie Alum

Same.  Probably could've lived in a nicer place in West Campus or somewhere else further from campus, but it was incredibly convenient and had the added benefit of parking which was hard to get on campus.

[HouTex 1868]

Is the Goodall Wooten still open? My buddy lived there for a couple of years in the 90s and that place was a shit hole then.

Probably already stated but it was a shit hole in the early 80’s.

[WBT 20580]

1 hour ago, FirstTimeCaller said:

UT Dorm Costs This Year for a 9-Month Contract:

Shared space with community bath    $12,645
Jester shared space with community bath    $13,058
Shared space with connecting or private bath    $13,471
Jester shared space with connecting or private bath    $13,885
San Jacinto or Duren shared space with connecting or private bath    $15,956
Single with community bath*    $15,244
Jester Single with community bath*    $15,657
Premium Single with community bath*    $17,844
Jester Premium Single with community bath*    $18,257
Premium Single with connecting or private bath*    $18,670
Duren Single with private bath*    $21,154

So Jester costs...more than an equivalent room elsewhere?  That doesn't seem right.

Andrews/Blanton/Carothers holla

Edited October 12, 2021 by WBT

[BurdineBandit 815]

39 minutes ago, South Austin said:

Same.  Probably could've lived in a nicer place in West Campus or somewhere else further from campus, but it was incredibly convenient and had the added benefit of parking which was hard to get on campus.

Which reminds me.... with the way they've responded to any automobiles being anywhere near central campus, they'll tear down that parking lot POST HASTE. 

[CleverNickname 1311]

I think there a lot of alumni who don't realize just how much more expensive renting in Austin has become since they graduated.

[Paper_jam 831]

I was at Dobie from '89-92, my recollection is that a standard double room was in the $5-6 K range (total for fall + spring semesters, with a meal plan). My last year I got a nice single corner room for about $7 K.  As a returning resident I probably got some discounts that reduced the cost a little. I really liked Dobie, with the mall right underneath (Power Play, Dobie Theater etc.) plus amenities like their janky pool tables.

 

[irishtexan 11519]

2 hours ago, MoJames said:

Moore-Hill alum here, prior to the sweet pool behind it too. Shit hole.

Moore-Hill 96-97. 

Most of my friends lived in the Woo. That place was fun BECAUSE it was a dump.

[conVINCEd 21469]

2 minutes ago, irishtexan said:

Moore-Hill 96-97. 

Most of my friends lived in the Woo. That place was fun BECAUSE it was a dump.

They were all dumps.

[midtown 3346]

Jester west 89-90 checking in. 6th floor. Engineering floor. Could never figure out why all the guys on the floor were always studying so much until I got probation.

True story. Came home from some party on a Thursday at like midnight. And a bunch of guys were up in the study lounge. Hey what are you guys doing? Studying for the physics test tomorrow... I thought that was next week..... My scantron was C. C. C. C etc

I got 5 of 10 correct and got a B on the curve.

[Deej 76800]

41 minutes ago, midtown said:

Jester west 89-90 checking in. 6th floor. Engineering floor. Could never figure out why all the guys on the floor were always studying so much until I got probation.

True story. Came home from some party on a Thursday at like midnight. And a bunch of guys were up in the study lounge. Hey what are you guys doing? Studying for the physics test tomorrow... I thought that was next week..... My scantron was C. C. C. C etc

I got 5 of 10 correct and got a B on the curve.

When I visited Colorado School of Mines my senior year of high school, the guys they had me staying with in the dorms took me up to Boulder with them for a reggae concert. We got back to Golden well after midnight, and they used a set of lock picks to break into the library to study for finals. 

[4th_and_18 687]

Goodall Wooten closed in May 2018.  The building was purchased by American Campus with the intent to redevelop it into more student housing, but I don't think that's been done yet.

Still waiting on a few leases to run out. The barber shop for one. The guys there told me it wasn’t going to be much longer. They hope to move up the drag a bit.

[HornOnTheBayou 8931]

2 hours ago, irishtexan said:

Moore-Hill 96-97. 

We were there at the same time. We were one of the first dorms on campus to get ethernet.

[UTGrad98 2276]

Men of 10. Jester. 93. All my rich friends lived in Castillion. I was poor as shit. 

[DonkeyCigars 143]

3 hours ago, irishtexan said:

Moore-Hill 96-97. 

Most of my friends lived in the Woo. That place was fun BECAUSE it was a dump.

 

1 hour ago, HornOnTheBayou said:

We were there at the same time. We were one of the first dorms on campus to get ethernet.

Same. Brothers?

[High Plains Drifter 11050]

9 hours ago, maninblack said:

Dobie Alum

 

Dobie hola!

 

[Deej 76800]

My memories of Dobie were playing pick up games at Anna Hiss gym on Saturday mornings when I was in high school, and crushing 5000 calories at the McDonald's in the basement of Dobie, afterwards. 

[AUS-97HORN 11781]

I lived in JWest. 93-95  I dont remember how much i paid per semester but I know for a fact that I had $11,000 in student loans per year.  That paid for all my tuition, fees, books, and staying in JWest from mid Aug to Late May.  I had some side gigs, but for the most part, I ran out of money every year around June, where I then went back to the parents place and had a summer job. 

 

I loved Dobie because it had the Mall. I was a regular at the movie rental place there.  It was relatively cheap. something like $2.00 a day to rent any vid.  Blockbuster was $3 or 4 if it was a new release. with the nazi level late fees. 

 

saw many movies in the theater there.  My fondest "worst"  memory was watching Showgirls at a midnight showing while 3/4 hammered.   that movie was fucking bad.... SOOOOOOOO bad, but there were tits everywhere. 

[ztejas 43457]

2 hours ago, Deej said:

When I visited Colorado School of Mines my senior year of high school, the guys they had me staying with in the dorms took me up to Boulder with them for a reggae concert. We got back to Golden well after midnight, and they used a set of lock picks to break into the library to study for finals. 

Should have stayed in Boulder. 

[Deej 76800]

No shit.